Hanger for vehicle splash guards



INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 21, 1965 N. P. sosolAN HANGER FOR VEHICLE SPLASH GUARDSFiled DGO. l0. 1962 NASH P. SosmAN wif .A-A-L` nlllllIlIIllllllllllIl/I'. l l

x WW1, Q nf auf United States Patent O 3,224,791 HANGER FOR VEHICLESPLASH GUARDS Nash P. Sogoian, 1417 21st St., Detroit 16, Mich. FiledDec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 243,260 9 Claims. (Cl. 2550-1545) The presentinvention relates to a hanger for vehicular mud aps and moreparticularly to such a device having means permitting deection of themud ilap support member without damage if the support memberaccidentally comes into contact with an obstruction.

In many localities it is mandatory that trucks, trailers and othersimilar vehicles be provided with mud flaps to prevent damage to othersfrom rocks and other debris thrown by the wheels. The hangers for suchmud flaps are often damaged by obstructions such as loading docks whenthe vehicle is backed into position for loading or unloading. Further,it has been found that hangers now commonly being used to secure mudflaps to vehicles such as trucks are not suiciently resilient to preventdamage and loosening caused by vibrations as the vehicle is being used.

It is an object then of the present invention to increase the life ofmud flap hangers for vehicles by providing a support member adapted tocarry a mud ap and which is resiliently mounted to the vehicle.

It is a further object of the present invention to de crease the damageto mud flap support members by providing resilient means in said supportmembers operable to permit the support members to deect from a normalposition when an obstruction is encountered.

`It is yet another object of the present invention to reduce theaccumulation of ice, snow and mud on vehicular mud flaps by providing asupport member for such a mud ap having resilient means for mounting thesupport member to the vehicle, so that ice and snow will loosen throughvibrations in the support.

Still lfurther objects and advantages of the present invention willreadily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertainsupon reference to the drawings in which like reference characters referto like parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is aperspective View of a mud flap assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional View of a support member of thepresent invention, and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional View of the supportmember of the present invention enlarged somewhat for purposes ofclarity and illustrating the support member in a deiiected position.

Now referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of thepresent invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a mud ap hanger of the presentinvention as being secured to a framing member 11 of a Vehicle such as atruck or the like. The hanger 10 is adapted to carry a mud flap 12 in aposition behind the wheels 13 of the truck.

As can best be seen in FIG. 2, the mud ap hanger 10 of the presentinvention preferably comprises an elongated tubular support member 20. Aradially extending annular flange member 21 is secured to one end of thesupport member and is provided with a central perforation 22. Theperforation 22 is adapted to receive a bolt 23 and a spring member 24 isbiased between the head 25 of the bolt 23 and the ange member 21. A nutmember 26 is provided for the bolt 23 to provide the means by which thehanger 10 is secured to the frame 11.

A second elongated tubular support member 30 is carried at the free endof the support member 20` in a position normally axially alignedtherewith by resilient means 3,224,791 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 ICC 31which will be described in more detail below. A cap member 32 isremovably carried in the free end of the support member 30.

Longitudnally extending flanges 33-34 are carried on the outer surfaceof the support members 20-30 respectively. Longitudinally spacedperforations 35 provide the means by which the mud ap 12 may be securedt0 the hanger 10 by bolts 36 or the like as can best be seen in FIG. 1.

The resilient means 31 as can best be seen in FIGS. 2-3 preferablycomprises atubular member 40 adapted to be axially carried in the freeend of the support member 20 and having a radially extending annularange portion 41 which limits inward axial movement of the tubular member40 with respect to the support member 20. A similar tubular member 42 isadapted to be carried in the end of the support member 30` and is provided with a radially extending ange portion 43 which limits inwardaxial movement of the tubular member 42 with respect to support member30.

The end of the tubular member 42 adjacent the tubular member 40 ispreferably provided with an axially extending V-shaped recess 44 whichprovides the seat for a substantially complementary shaped end portion45 of the tubular member 4t). The tubular member 40 is provided with aradially extending inclined recess 46 spaced longitudinally from the endportion 4S.

A spring member 50 is positioned by transverse pin members 51 and urgesthe end portion 45 of the tubular member 40 to seat in the recess 44 ofthe tubular member 42 and thus urges the support members 2li-30 toward aposition of axial alignment. The tubular members 4tl- 42 are adapted tobe secured to the support members 20-30 respectively by welding (notshown) or some other like method.

The spring member 50 is suiciently strong enough to hold the supportmembers 20-30 in a position of axial alignment. If, however, an obstacleis encountered by the support mem-ber 30 the resilient means 31 willpermit the support member 30 to move angularly with respect to thesupport member 2i) as can best be seen in FIG. 3. This will reducebreakage which often occurs when a truck or other vehicle is backed intoa loading dock or the like. The spring member 24 provides a resilientmounting on the frame 11 which permits the support member 20 to deflectwith respect to` the frame member 11 when that member encounters anobstacle. Further the resilient means 31 and the spring member 24provide a limited amount of resiliency to the hanger 10 which has beenfound to have the result of reducing the accumulation of ice, snow andmud on the hanger 1t) and the mud flap 12.

It is apparent that any number of resilient means 31 could be providedin a mud ap hanger without departing from the spirit of the invention.In some instances it may be desirable to eliminate the resilient means31 and use only the resilient mounting means which has been described.

It is also apparent that although I have described but one embodiment ofthe present invention many changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A hanger for a vehicular rnud flap or the like comprising (a) anelongated tubular support member,

(b) means carried longitudinally on said support member for securing amud flap thereto,

(c) means carried at one end of said support member for mounting saidsupport member to a Vehicle,

(d) said mounting means including a perforated plate member secured tothe end of said lsupport member, a bolt having 4a head portion carriedwithin said support member and a threaded shank portion extendingthrough said plate member exteriorly of said (e) said carrying meanscomprising a first tubular member carried in the free end of said firstmentioned support member, a second tubular member carried in the end ofsaid second support member support member to be secured to said vehicleand 5 adjacent said first tubular member, one of said a spring memberwithin said support member entubular members having reduced portion andthe compassing said bolt and being compres-sed between other of saidtubular members having an annular said head portion and said platemember, recess receiving said reduced portion,

(e) a second elongated tubular support member car- (if) resilient meansurging said reduced portion to seat ried at the free end of said firstmentioned tubular in said recess, and

support member and in axial alignment therewith, and

(f) resilient means carried intermediate said first mentioned supportmember and said second support member.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 and in which said (g) a mud flap andmeans securing said mud flap to said 4support members.

6. The combination as defined in claim S and in which said recess issubstantially V-shaped in longitudinal section and said reduced portionis provided with a radially extending inclined recess adapted to receivethe free edge of the other of said tubular members when said tubularresilient means comprises a spring carried in axial alignment with saidfirst mentioned support member and said second support member.

3. In combination (a) an elongated support member, (b) means beingprovided at one end of said support member for mounting said supportmember to a vehicle in a first position,

(c) a first resilient means carried intermediate said (a) all elongatedrSt Support member having a longisupport member and said mounting means,tudinal axis,

(d) a second elongated support member, (b) means carried at one end ofsaid first support mem- (e) means carrying said second support member atthe ber for mounting same to a vehicle in a position such free end ofsaid first mentioned support member and that said longitudinal axis ofsaid first support memin axial alignment therewith, ber extendssubstantially horizontally,

(f) said carrying means comprising a first tubular mem- (c) said firstsupport member having a free end horiber carried in the free end of saidfirst mentioned Zontally spaced from said mounting means when saidsupport member, a second tubular member carried first Support member ismounted to said vehicle, in the end of said second support memberadjacent (d) an elongated second support member having a said firsttubular member, one of said tubular memlongitudinal axis and an endportion, bers having an enlarged free end portion adapted to (e) meanssecuring said end portion to said free end receive the free end portionof the other of said of said first support member, said securing meanstubular members, including a resilient member urging said support (g)resilient means biasing said tubular members members toward a positionin which said longitudiaxially toward each other, nal axes of saidsupport members are in an aligned (h) a mud flap and means securing saidmud flap to and substantially horizontally extending position saidsupport members. whereby said second support member will defiect 4. Incombination angularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of (a) anelongated support member, said first support member upon a lateral forcebeing (b) means being provided at one end 0f said support 45 directedagainst said second support member sufiimember for mounting said supportmember to a cient to overcome said resilient member, and vehicle in afirst position, (f) a mud flap and means securing said mud fiap to (c)resilient means provided intermediate said support said support members.

member and said mounting means whereby a lateral 9. The combination asdefined in claim 8 and in which force directed against said Supportmember susaid mounting means includes a second resilient member urgingsaid first support member toward a normal position with respect to saidvehicle whereby said first support member will deect from said normalposition upon a lateral force being directed against said first supportmember sufficient to overcome said second resilient cient to overcomesaid resilient means will cause said support member to defiect angularlywith respect to said first position,

(d) a second support member,

(e) means resiliently securing said second support member to the freeend of said first mentioned supmember. port member and in axialalignment therewith, and References Cited by the Examiner (f) a mud flapand means securing said flap to said Support members. UNITED STATESPATENTS 5. In combination 1,947,525 2/1934 Hume 28o-154.5

(a) an elongated support member, 2,397,151 3/ 1946 Mitchell.

(b) means being provided at one end of said support 2,640,714 6/ 1953Garner et al. 28o-154,5 member for mounting said support member to a2,652,266 9/ 1953 Miller 280-1545 vehicle in a first position, 2,801,8678/ 1957 Childreth 280-154.5

(c) a second elongated support member, 3,088,751 5/ 1963 Barry et al.280-1545 (d) means carrying said second support member at the free endof said first mentioned support member and in axial alignment therewith,

A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Examiner.

1. A HANGER FOR A VEHICULAR MUD FLAP OR THE LIKE COMPRISING (A) ANELONGATED TUBULAR SUPPORT MEMBER, (B) MEANS CARRIED LONGITUDINALLY ONSAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR SECURING A MUD FLAP THERETO, (C) MEANS CARRIEDAT ONE END OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR MOUNTING SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO AVEHICLE, (D) SAID MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A PERFORATED PLATE MEMBERSECURED TO THE END OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, A BOLT HAVING A HEAD PORTIONCARRIED WITHIN SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND A THEADED SHANK PORTION EXTENDINGTHROUGH SAID PLATE MEMBER EXTERIORLY OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO BESECURED TO SAID VEHICLE AND A SPRING MEMBER WITHIN SAID SUPPORT MEMBERENCOMPASSING SAID BOLT AND BEING COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID HEAD PORTIONAND SAID PLATE MEMBER, (E) A SECOND ELONGATED TUBULAR SUPPORT MEMBERCARRIED AT THE FREE END OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED TUBULAR SUPPORT MEMBERAND IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, AND (F) RESILIENT MEANS CARRIEDINTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST MENTIONED SUPPORTED MEMBER AND SAID SECONDSUPPORT MEMBER.